Bottom Up Professional Learning – It’s Starting

Published on October 31, 2008 in community and professional learning. 0 Comments Tags: .

 

Last night I went to school at 8pm despite my exhaustion. I left the family to have dinner, shower, story, homework, bed etc without me and drove to school.

When I arrived at the staff room I was met by music from a familiar disc and candle light. The room was set up nicely and a few teachers were milling around, chatting and making coffee. We were 13 all in all and we were ready for our first “colleague gathering” (mifgash Amitim sounds better in Hebrew) initiated by Orit, one of our experienced teachers.

The idea was presented at the end of the summer break and it took a few months for us to begin as it was especially important that the first meeting be successful.

Each teacher (colleague really – our wonderful “house mother” was as much a part of the evening as we were) was asked ahead of time to prepare  a memory of her school days. One by one we told stories and both laughed together and relived difficult moments. We identified with the stories of others, made comparisons and asked a lot of questions. A few of the participants presented items which supported their oral narratives (a book of photos, an essay handwritten at school…). I got to know a lot about teachers I work with every day, things we don’t have time to talk about in the mad race of the school day.

As educators, we examined the stories through the eyes of teachers but did not open the discussion about the influence of those long gone experiences on our work in the classroom today.  

After a break for coffee and wonderful cakes we discussed the future of these meetings, We decided that we would continue to meet, once a month, at school or elsewhere. Occasionally there will be input from an outside source but mainly it will be a meeting for ourselves and by ourselves – a place to discuss issues important to the participants.

The organization reminds me of the “ICT arvo” discussed here by nb and serves the same kind of purpose. I am hoping that the next meeting will be just as successful as last night’s one – I really enjoyed myself. I am grateful to Orit who has once again brought a fresh and innovative idea to our school commmunity.

 Free image from:   http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=269183

 

A Full Week Behind Us

Published on October 30, 2008 in professional learning. 0 Comments Tags: .

This afternoon we finished our first full school week in ages. After a month or so of public holidays for the festivals I thought that this week was going to be particularly difficult but it wasn’t. I have a feeling that both the teachers and the kids are happy to get into a regular routine.

We finished the week with our monthly meeting of the whole school in our little amphitheater. The sun was shining after two full days of rain and the atmosphere was great. There was a real sense of community as we sang together, congratulated those with October birthdays and read texts about the current month and things that have occurred recently at school, in Israel and in the world. I am very proud of those gatherings and the way our pupils behave in them.

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Next week I am beginning my weekly meetings with the class teachers. The professional learning sessions will take place during the school day in pairs – each grade level separately. Last year, when I was on sabbatical and only worked one day a week, the sessions all took place on the same day, one after the other, in the nurse’s room. This year my timetable is full of other teaching commitments and the meetings are scattered all through the week. This will demand even stricter organization and I will have to be even more determined that our precious time together won’t be eaten up by other things.

Last year I sent a reminder out on the weekend saying what I would be working on with each grade level and what I expected the teachers to prepare, think about or bring. I’m not sure whether this year I will send individual emails or send a centralized one. I will have to see what works.

While most of the teachers are looking forward to the meetings, there are those that would prefer I left them alone. Team planning and professional discussions with peers are demanding and not always easy. My aim is to make the sessions interesting and relevant. If each and every teacher feels she has gained something from each meeting, it will be successful. At the end of last year, most of the teachers told the principal that our meetings are worthwhile and most important. Hopefully this year I will have similar responses…

 

 

 

 

 

Writing with more questions than answers

Published on October 17, 2008 in blogging and language. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

This afternoon I am opening my second reflective blog because I feel the need to write.

Although I will be writing here about my professional experiences (which almost entirely take place in the Hebrew language), I have decided to begin writing in English. I have many questions connected to my choice of language.

One of my thesis examiners questioned this confusion between  languages and even hinted that I may be choosing the easy way out by ignoring the Hebrew context of my language and writing it all in English. He is right, instead of dealing with the issues in the language in which they occur, I am constantly sifting them through a translational sieve.

Why English?

English is my mother tongue and reading and writing it certainly come easier and quicker. I have spent the past two and a half years studying in English and my experience with reflective writing and personal and professional narrative is in English. In addition, I have entered the international edubloggers circle in the English language and am still busy trying to find a place in that community. This new blog is an extension of thesisthoughts  , my study blog. it seems natural for them to be in the same language.

Why not Hebrew?

Blogging is still not a widespread practice in Israel and Edublogging is still fairly unknown. I have little chance of taking part in a blogging community in Hebrew.

As far as anonymity goes, there is less chance of my pupils, their parents or my peers stumbling across my words if they are in English… maybe that is an advantage?

Why a separate blog?

I have been aware of a widening gap between my identity as a student / researcher and as a teacher. I am struggling to keep seeing myself as a student while sinking deeper and deeper into the quicksand of school life. Getting up every morning at 5 am is an example of my attempts to save a regular slice of time for professional reading and writing.

It just doesn’t feel right reflecting on school issues on the other site.